“Come on, Raj, when are you going to finally ask her out?” Arjun teased, leaning back on the couch with a smirk, eyes twinkling with mischief.
Raj, sitting across from him, rolled his eyes. “What are you talking about? She’s just a classmate, dude.”
Karan, who was standing by the doorway, couldn’t help but chuckle at the exchange. “A classmate, huh? Sure, Raj. That’s what you say, but everyone saw how you were looking at her last week during that presentation. It was like you were about to jump out of your seat and volunteer to do the next one.”
Raj shot Karan a glare. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just paying attention, alright?”
“Paying attention? That’s one way to describe it,” Karan teased, raising an eyebrow. “You couldn’t take your eyes off her, man.”
Arjun nodded, joining in on the fun. “Yeah, Raj. Don’t pretend like we didn’t notice. Even Karan noticed. And trust me, if he notices, it’s obvious.”
Karan leaned against the doorframe with a smirk, folding his arms across his chest. “Look, man, it’s fine. It’s just a girl. We’ve all been there.”
Raj sighed and gave a reluctant grin. “Okay, fine. Maybe I am interested. But I’m not going to make any moves yet.”
“You’re seriously overthinking this, Raj,” Arjun said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Just ask her out already. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Maybe she says no?” Raj suggested.
Arjun scoffed. “So? Who cares? At least you’ll know. But if you keep sitting on your hands like this, you’ll never know.”
Karan grinned. “Arjun’s right, man. I’d say just ask her. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”
Raj grumbled, clearly not as confident as his friends were. “I don’t know, man. I’m not the ‘romantic type.’ I’ve never really been the ‘chasing girls’ kind of guy.”
“I’ll be honest,” Karan said with a smirk, “if you can’t pull it off, then I have to step in. Maybe I’ll ask her out for you and be the wingman.”
Raj shot him a wary look. “Don’t you dare.”
Karan laughed, shaking his head. “Nah, I wouldn’t. But seriously, Raj, it’s not that complicated. You’ve just got to ask and move on.”
They all shared a laugh, with Raj still looking unsure. Karan, however, felt a lightheartedness he hadn’t experienced in days. This was the kind of banter he needed—something to distract him from the constant thoughts that plagued his mind.
A few minutes of comfortable silence passed, with Arjun scrolling through his phone and Raj still lost in thought. Karan, however, looked at the time on his watch and sighed. “I better head out. My parents are expecting me for dinner tonight.”
Raj raised an eyebrow, a smirk creeping onto his face. “Another family dinner? Man, your parents really love you, don’t they?”
Karan flashed him a grin. “Of course they do. I’m their favorite son.”
Arjun snorted. “Yeah, I bet that’s true. Especially since your younger brother’s still a kid and doesn’t count yet.”
“Exactly,” Karan said, playing along. “I’m the only one who’s got their full attention right now.”
Raj smirked. “Sure, until your little brother’s old enough to actually make some jokes.”
“Don’t even joke about that,” Karan replied, shaking his head. “The competition’s already fierce enough.”
“You think they’ll ever stop comparing you two?” Arjun asked, raising an eyebrow.
Karan shrugged. “Who knows? But I’m sure they’ll never stop reminding me about how they’re waiting for grandkids.”
Raj laughed. “That’s every Indian parent, isn’t it? Always on the lookout for the ‘next generation.’”
Karan nodded, grinning. “Yeah, but if they keep pestering me about it, I might have to fake a ‘mysterious girlfriend’ just to get them off my back.”
Arjun raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re pulling out the ‘secret girlfriend’ card already.”
“I’m just saying it might be necessary,” Karan said with a smirk, slipping his jacket on. “Besides, it’ll be a while before I have a reason to make that excuse anyway.”
Raj chuckled. “Yeah, you better keep it that way. We’re still waiting on you to figure out who you’re into.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Karan replied. “I’ve got enough to keep me busy.”
With that, Karan grabbed his keys and headed for the door, turning back to face his friends. “I’ll see you guys later.”
“Yeah, don’t be too boring at your family dinner, man,” Arjun called after him, still laughing. “We expect a full report when you get back.”
Karan grinned. “If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll have some new material to share. Who knows what my parents will ask me about next?”
Karan arrived at his parents’ home, the familiar scent of home-cooked food instantly welcoming him. He was glad to be here, even if his mind was still occupied with the million things he couldn’t quite resolve—his college life, his personal goals, and of course, that girl he couldn’t quite forget.
His father, sitting on the couch, glanced up as Karan entered. “There he is,” he said with a smile, folding his newspaper. “How was your day, Karan?”
“Busy,” Karan replied, loosening his tie and setting down his bag. “Same old stuff. College, assignments, and a whole lot of distractions.”
“Distractions, huh?” His father’s voice carried a teasing note. “Sounds like someone’s not focusing enough.”
Karan smirked. “I’m focusing. I’m just... letting things run their course.”
His mother called from the kitchen, “Dinner’s almost ready. Come sit down, Karan.”
He nodded and made his way to the dining table. His younger brother, still in his teens, was at the table too, looking excited to have his older brother home.
“So, what’s been going on in college? Anything interesting?” his mother asked, ladling some curry onto his plate.
Karan hesitated, then gave a casual shrug. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Some classes, some new faces, but nothing that stands out.”
His younger brother raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound like you. What about your friends? Anyone new?”
Karan shrugged again, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. “You know, same people. Raj, Sameer... nothing new.”
His father smiled knowingly. “You know, Karan, you need to stay focused. Life’s not going to hand things to you. You have to go out there and make it happen. Your future’s in your hands.”
Karan looked at his father, the weight of his words sinking in. “I know, Dad. I’ve been thinking a lot about that.”
As the dinner continued, Karan’s thoughts drifted for a moment, remembering how much he valued moments like this. His family had a way of grounding him, even when everything else seemed so complicated. Sometimes, it felt like all the pressure from his friends and the expectations from college were just noise compared to the steady pulse of home.
Later that evening, as Karan got up to leave, his father caught his eye. “You’re going to need to figure things out, Karan. Don’t let distractions take over.”
Karan gave a quiet nod. “I will, Dad. Thanks.”
As he drove back to his apartment, the familiar hum of the car was the only sound filling the silence. His father’s words echoed in his mind. Maybe it was time to take control. Time to stop letting things distract him and start moving forward.
But what exactly would that mean for him? What did his future look like, and who was going to be a part of it?
YOU ARE READING
Silent Vows
RomantizmKaran Kapoor has always lived life on his own terms-charming, confident, and a notorious playboy who never took anything too seriously. Relationships were just a game to him, and emotions were something he could easily brush aside. That is, until a...
